Without a doubt, digital learning has been a buzzword in education circles for a while now. Some call it 21st century learning, some call it common sense and others call it a fad. There’s a general consensus, however, that our education system struggles to keep up with the rate of change in the world around it. For every innovative school and afterschool program, there are countless more with inadequate access to technology and with a limited understanding of its potential. The task of modernizing our education system may seem somewhat daunting, but I must say that this year’s Digital Learning Day and Pres. Obama’s recent remarks about plans for ConnectED left me feeling pretty hopeful that we’re on the brink of a real shift in how we think about what it takes to expand access to digital learning opportunities.

Unsurprisingly, funding is often viewed as a road block to progress. It takes money to build the infrastructure, more money to buy the technology, and still more money for maintenance and professional development. Let’s face it—digital learning is expensive, and increased funding is not necessarily the easiest thing to come by.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the United States already spends more than $600 billion per year on K-12 education. That equates to roughly $11,000 per student on average, with total expenditures increasing every year. Certainly, digital learning comes with a hefty price tag, but it’s a price worth paying in the long run.

The key is that the solution can’t rely primarily on more spending. We need smarter spending as well. Modernizing our education system and ensuring that kids graduate with the skills to succeed in a digital world are not just issues for schools to figure out on their own and for the government to fund. If we want to see meaningful progress in our generation, then we have to look at digital learning as something we’re all responsible for supporting.

The business and philanthropic communities definitely deserve kudos for the investments they’ve made in educational technology and finding ways to increase access at lower costs. A report by GSV Advisors revealed that private investments in K-12 education totaled $389 million in 2011, a significant increase from $13 million in 2005. So far, it looks like 2014 is shaping up to be an even bigger year. On Tuesday, Pres. Obama announced that some of the country’s largest technology and telecommunications firms have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars toward ConnectED’s ambitious goal of ensuring that 99 percent of students have access to a high-speed Internet connection at their schools and libraries within five years. Partnering with the business community to share the cost burden of digital learning is an example of smarter spending.

While there’s a lot of attention on school connectivity (and deservedly so), let’s not forget that community partners are also important stakeholders in the digital learning transition. Learning doesn’t stop when the school bell rings. In communities across America, a robust ecosystem of learning opportunities engages kids in new and exciting ways. That ecosystem includes schools, libraries, museums, science centers, national partners like Boys and Girls Clubs of America, as well as a variety of local programs doing pretty amazing things.

It was no coincidence that the national Digital Learning Day event was held in the Library of Congress this year. Within learning ecosystems, libraries are quickly becoming digital media hubs and providing critical access points for students and families. Like schools, these ecosystems must be supported and properly funded. In response to this need, many companies have stepped up to provide funding that allows community partners to support digital learning as well. The Intel Computer Clubhouse Network provides a great example of the kinds of partnerships between businesses and community organizations that best support education. Even on an individual level, each of us can do something to help support the learning ecosystems in our communities; whether through volunteering or donations, your support matters.

Parents are also a critical piece of this equation. Many parents and families on the periphery of the digital revolution often don’t understand the real value of technology. They don’t see how it impacts learning in school and may not grasp how they can use it at home to set their kids up for success. Parents must be educated about the potential of digital media as well, so that they can better understand their role in supporting digital learning and “policing” their kids online activity. In an issue brief on parent engagement, we highlighted the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF) as a great example of the role community organizations can play in educating parents. CHCF offers programming with translation services and opportunities for parents to learn alongside their children through informal STEM learning opportunities. When parents see how their kids benefit from using technology in these environments, they better understand how to support them at home. Supporting programs like CHCF is also an example of smarter spending.

Though there is still much progress to be made before digital learning becomes the norm, rather than the exception, it seems that we are starting to turn the corner. As demonstrated by investments from the business community, increasing access to digital learning is a social responsibility. It’s not something that any of us can sit back and watch happen, and it’s not a magic cure for an ailing school system. It’s one piece of a much larger puzzle that we all must be committed to solve.

Have you heard the news? This week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse is holding the third annual National Drug Facts Week. In this video, teens from three Maryland youth programs—TEENWORKS, Voices for Change, and DrugFree's Teen Advisory Council—share their thoughts on drug abuse.

Every day, teens are bombarded with conflicting messages that may leave them feeling confused and unsure of who to ask for information about drug use. With 7% of teens reporting abuse of prescription drugs in the past year and 22% of 12th graders reporting using marijuana in the past month, it’s crucial to reach teens with the facts.

Wondering how you can take part? There are plenty of ways to get involved and help shatter the myths about drug use for teens:

We’re inviting teachers, afterschool leaders and educators everywhere to celebrate Digital Learning Day by accepting the #make4DLDay challenge, a set of digital storytelling activities that allow youth and adults to be makers for Digital Learning Day.

Both the maker education and digital learning movements are grounded in the belief that kids learn best by doing. From cardboard and clay to circuits and computers, kids can use a variety of analogue and digital tools to tell their story. The #make4DLDay challenge is about sharing ideas among educators, and experimenting with modern ways of engaging youth in making and digital storytelling.

Accepting the #make4DLDay challenge is easy—here’s how:

Choose your level. We’ve got multiple activities for educators with varying levels of experience using digital tools. Choose your level based on the tools most readily accessible to you.

Pick a relevant topic. Digital storytelling can be applied to almost any topic, from geography to STEM. Design your activity around a topic of interest to your students.

Share your work. On Feb. 5, share your photos, videos and links to students’ work with other innovative educators by using the hashtag #make4DLDay.

Level 1: Tell a Story with Paper Cut-Outs

This activity works great for educators with limited access to technology. Students can produce a “digital story” by making a series of paper cut-outs (or clay figures) which can be photographed or filmed with interesting props and backdrops. When they are done, the photographs can be uploaded to a computer to create a digital slideshow. Students can take turns narrating their slideshow individually or in groups. Here are a few examples of finished products:

Prezi is an easy and free online tool that allows you to combine multiple types of media into animated slideshows. They’re highly interactive and very useful for digital storytelling. Whether fiction or non-fiction, Prezi offers a fun way for students to tell stories and educate their peers on a variety of topics. Check out these examples for inspiration:

If you’re a little more comfortable using technology, stop-motion video software can help your students take digital storytelling to the next level. You can find tons of useful resources and free tools to help you get started in this #clmooc resource. You can also watch a few of our favorites here:

If you’re new to digital storytelling, #make4DLDay is a great way to learn-by-doing and see how educators around the world are using technology to inspire learning. If you’re more experienced, sharing your projects is a great way to help other educators that are just getting started.

On Feb. 5, thousands of educators will take part in the third annual Digital Learning Day, a nationwide celebration of common sense, effective applications of digital learning that support educators, improve learning and provide opportunities for students to achieve at their highest potential. As part of this celebration, we’re excited to announce the #Make4DLDay challenge and want you to join the fun!

Thanks to digital media and technology, our education system is undergoing a major shift in how, where and what students are learning. The organizations collaborating in this challenge—the Afterschool Alliance, Edutopia, and the National Writing Project (via its Educator Innovator Initiative and Digital Is platform)—share a common belief that this shift should reflect connected learning principles, including interest-driven, production-centered learning opportunities for youth, in school and out. These principles allow youth to collaborate with peers and mentors in person and via the Web as they become producers of digital artifacts and not just consumers.

To that end, we’re inviting you to join us in accepting the #Make4DLDay challenge—a set of digital storytelling activities that allow youth and adults to be makers for Digital Learning Day.

So, what exactly are we making? From remixing important historical events to educating peers about issues in their communities, we’re encouraging young people everywhere to create and share digital stories that reflect what interests them.

The #Make4DLDay challenge allows you to “level up” and participate in a number of ways, based on your familiarity with digital tools and access to technology. All you have to do is choose your level, pick your topic and share your work on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or other social media platforms using the hashtag #Make4DLDay.

Check out the Digital Learning Day website for more details about the #make4DLDay challenge or browse our resources below to help familiarize you with the power of storytelling as a digital learning strategy. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Are you “Speaking Up” about digital learning this year? If not, you're missing a unique opportunity to have your views—as well as the views of your colleagues, students, their parents and the local community—included in the increasingly important U.S. national and state discussions on digital learning policies, programs and funding.

The Afterschool Alliance is proud to announce a special partnership with Project Tomorrow this year to encourage participation of afterschool organizations in their online research project Speak Up. The Speak Up National Research Project annually collects and reports on the authentic, unfiltered views of K–12 students, parents and educators about critical digital age education and technology issues. Since 2003, more than 3 million K–12 education stakeholders have shared their ideas about ed tech through the Speak Up online surveys. And we need your ideas too!

This year, for the first time, Project Tomorrow will be providing an additional online survey for community members. Local employers, after school providers, school board members and homeowners without children in the local schools can now provide their views on the role of technology in preparing students for the jobs and careers of the 21st century. This new set of data will provide valuable insights for the participating organizations as well as state and federal policymakers on the importance of digital tools and resources for college and career readiness.

The online survey is open to students, educators, parents and members of the community now through Dec. 20, 2013. There's no cost to participate; no limit on the number of surveys that can be submitted; and all data collected is 100% confidential. Plus, every participating organization gets back their own stakeholder data from the online surveys to use for grant writing, ed tech plans, budgets, professional development and community engagement. No need to create your own surveys—Speak Up does all the work for you!

Survey question topics include but are not limited to: learning and teaching with technology, 21st century skills, games, STEM career exploration, online and blended learning, flipped classrooms, mobile devices, digital and online textbooks, writing with technology, professional development for educators, school-to-home communications, digital citizenship, and preparing for the 2014/2015 online assessments.

Take the survey today at: www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2013 and share your thoughts and views on the importance of education within your community and specifically, the role of technology in preparing today’s youth with the skills they need to be successful in the future. All community members will access the survey through a school in their local community or if registered afterschool organization.

If you're interested in collecting your organization’s stakeholder’s data and receiving an online report of your local data in addition to the state and national data, please contact Jenny Hostert on the Speak Up Team to register your organization for participation. Jenny can be reached via email at jhostert@tomorrow.org or 949.609-4660 ext.17.

Speak Up is an initiative of Project Tomorrow, the nation's leading education nonprofit organization focused on empowering students to have a greater voice in their education. To learn more about Speak Up please visit the Project Tomorrow website at www.tomorrow.org/speakup

Every year, Lights On Afterschool provides an opportunity for communities around the country to celebrate the many different ways that afterschool programs help to enrich children’s lives. These programs help kids see themselves as athletes, artists, scientists, musicians, engineers and much more. This year, to help us highlight the important role of afterschool in supporting STEM education, we’re partnering with4-H to link Lights On Afterschool with 4-H National Youth Science Day.

This is one part of our larger effort to support opportunities for more young people, especially those from populations under-represented in STEM fields, to explore and engage in STEM learning. The Afterschool Alliance is committed to advancing afterschool STEM education through our work focused around field-building; research; and advocacy, policy, and communications. That’s why we’re so thrilled to have partners like 4-H, which have been at the forefront of exposing young people to STEM learning opportunities for more than 100 years.

4-H National Youth Science Day seeks to spark early youth interest and leadership in STEM careers in an effort to keep America competitive in those fields. On Oct. 9, millions of young people will become scientists for the day by participating in a national science experiment. The 4-H Maps and Apps Experiment includes a set of activities that will turn young people into geospatial thinkers as they design and map their ideal park, use GIS mapping to solve community problems and contribute data about their community to the United States Geological Survey.

We think the 4-H Maps and Apps Experiment provides a great event idea to involve youth, parents and members of your community in Lights On Afterschool celebrations! As your students work together to identify ways to improve their community, think about how you can share their findings with community leaders to highlight how your program is helping engage kids in real-world, relevant issues.

Our event planning kit has tons of other great ideas for how to celebrate Lights On Afterschool. From case studies to sample materials, you’ll find it all on our site. Whatever you decide to do, we’re glad that you’ll be celebrating with us!

As Congress considers reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), proposed legislation would have important implications for the 21st CCLC program—the only source of federal funding dedicated specifically to supporting afterschool. This webinar is intended to help municipal leaders better understand the potential impact that these proposals could have on their communities and how to best position themselves to be ready for them.

Participants will learn about the implications for cities, as well as the impact that sequestration cuts will have on other key education and afterschool program funding sources. The webinar will also provide insight into the national discussion around expanded learning opportunities and extended learning time.

After the webinar, @YEFInstitute and @afterschool4all will keep the #OSTPolicy discussion going on Twitter, where other city leaders will be tweeting questions and comments about federal afterschool policy proposals. Join us by using the #OSTPolicy hashtag.

Join us on Thurs., May 9 at 2 p.m. EDT as we discuss the role that afterschool programs can play in addressing youth violence.

According to a nationally-representative survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 3 high school youth reported being in a physical fight within a 12 month period, and 1 in 6 high school youth reported carrying a weapon on one or more days within a 30 day period. These alarming statistics underscore the need for quality afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families. Providing an outlet for positive self-expression, access to caring adult mentors, and a community of supportive peers has been proven to be a winning formula for curbing aggressive behavior and empowering youth to be agents of change in their communities.

This webinar will highlight specific violence prevention strategies and federal funding streams for afterschool programs engaging in this work. Carleen Wray, executive director of the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), will discuss how to empower youth to make their schools and communities safer through crime prevention tactics, conflict management and service projects. Ben Forman, executive director of Teens Run DC, will also discuss how the combination of mentoring and a distance running program encourages positive youth behaviors by helping them work toward personal goals.